Government Schemes: Notes for UPSC, SSC & Railway Exams
Flagship schemes grouped by theme. Financial inclusion, insurance and pension, health, nutrition, housing, water, livelihoods. With launch years and features.
PMJJBY (life, Rs 436/yr) and PMSBY (accident, Rs 20/yr) each cover Rs 2 lakh; APY gives Rs 1,000-5,000 pension; all three launched 9 May 2015.
Mudra (2015): Shishu up to Rs 50,000, Kishore up to Rs 5 lakh, Tarun up to Rs 10 lakh, Tarun Plus up to Rs 20 lakh.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (2018): Rs 5 lakh per family per year; all citizens aged 70+ covered since 2024.
Ujjwala (1 May 2016, Ballia): LPG connections for women of poor households.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: 22 January 2015, Panipat. Sukanya Samriddhi launched alongside.
ICDS began 2 October 1975; POSHAN Abhiyaan 2018 (Jhunjhunu); Jal Jeevan Mission 2019.
PM Vishwakarma (17 September 2023): support for artisans in 18 traditional trades; PM SVANidhi (2020): street vendors.
How to study schemes
Exams ask four things about a scheme: when it was launched, which ministry runs it, who benefits, and its signature number (a cover amount, premium, age band or loan slab). Group schemes by theme instead of memorising a random list, and pay special attention to look-alike pairs, because distractors are usually built from a neighbouring scheme.
Financial inclusion, insurance and pension
Scheme
Launched
Key features
PM Jan Dhan Yojana
28 August 2014
Zero-balance accounts, RuPay debit card, accident insurance (Rs 2 lakh for accounts opened after August 2018), overdraft up to Rs 10,000
PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
9 May 2015
Life cover Rs 2 lakh; age 18-50; premium Rs 436 a year
PM Suraksha Bima Yojana
9 May 2015
Accident death and disability cover up to Rs 2 lakh; age 18-70; premium Rs 20 a year
Atal Pension Yojana
9 May 2015
Join at 18-40, contribute till 60, guaranteed pension Rs 1,000-5,000 a month; income-tax payers barred since October 2022
PM Mudra Yojana
8 April 2015
Collateral-free loans to non-farm micro enterprises: Shishu, Kishore, Tarun, Tarun Plus
Stand-Up India
5 April 2016
Bank loans of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore for greenfield enterprises of SC/ST and women entrepreneurs
Startup India
16 January 2016
Recognition, tax and compliance relief and funding support for startups
Health and nutrition
Scheme
Launched
Key features
Integrated Child Development Services
2 October 1975
Anganwadis: supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, immunisation, health check-ups
Mid-Day Meal / PM POSHAN
1995 / renamed 2021
Hot cooked meals in government and aided schools
National Health Mission
NRHM 2005, NUHM 2013, merged as NHM
Strengthening public health systems; ASHA workers
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
23 September 2018 (Ranchi)
Cashless hospital cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year; all citizens 70+ covered since 2024
POSHAN Abhiyaan
8 March 2018 (Jhunjhunu)
National Nutrition Mission against stunting, anaemia and low birth weight
Girls, women and households
Scheme
Launched
Key features
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
22 January 2015 (Panipat)
Improve child sex ratio and girls' education
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
22 January 2015
Small-savings account for a girl child below 10
PM Ujjwala Yojana
1 May 2016 (Ballia)
Deposit-free LPG connections to adult women of poor households
Swachh Bharat Mission
2 October 2014
Open-defecation-free India, solid waste management
PM Awas Yojana - Urban
25 June 2015
Housing for the urban poor
PM Awas Yojana - Gramin
20 November 2016
Pucca houses for rural homeless (restructured from Indira Awaas Yojana)
Jal Jeevan Mission
15 August 2019
Functional household tap connection for every rural home ('Har Ghar Jal')
Livelihoods and skills
Scheme
Launched
Key features
National Social Assistance Programme
15 August 1995
Old-age, widow and disability pensions for poor households
Digital India
1 July 2015
Digital infrastructure, services and literacy
Skill India Mission
15 July 2015
Skill development, including PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana
PM-KISAN
2019
Rs 6,000 a year to landholding farmer families in three instalments
PM SVANidhi
June 2020
Collateral-free working-capital loans for street vendors
PM Vishwakarma
17 September 2023
Recognition, training, toolkit help and credit for artisans in 18 traditional trades
The rural wage-employment guarantee is the backbone of social protection in villages: MGNREGA (2005) offered 100 days of work per rural household a year, and from 1 July 2026 the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 replaced it with a guarantee of 125 days.
Look-alike pairs to keep apart
Ujjwala (LPG for women, Ballia 2016) vs Ujala (LED bulbs, 2015).
PM SVANidhi (street vendors) vs PM Vishwakarma (traditional artisans) vs Mudra (any non-farm micro enterprise).
Jal Jeevan Mission (tap water at home) vs Namami Gange (Ganga cleaning) vs Atal Bhujal Yojana (groundwater) vs Swachh Bharat (sanitation).
Stand-Up India (SC/ST and women, Rs 10 lakh-1 crore) vs Startup India (innovative young firms).
ICDS (1975, anganwadi services) vs POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018, nutrition mission) vs PM POSHAN (school meals).
